Stocking, knitted fabric, and their method of production



H. B'. SNADER 2,307,607

STOCKING, KNITTED FABRIC, AND IHEIR METHOD 0F PRODUCTION Jan. 5, 1943.

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STOCKING, KNITTED FABRIC, AND THEIR METHOD OF PRODUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Filed NOV. 29, 1939 HMM U 17u/mmf H0 wad. Saade!" Jam.` 5, 1943.

H. B. sNADER 2,307,607

THEIR METHOD OF PRODUCTION 1 STOCKING, KNITTED FABRIC, AND

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 29, 1939 Patented jJan. 5, 1943 STOCKIN G, KNITTED FABRIC, AND THEIR METHOD OF PRODUCTION Howard B. Snad'er, Temple, Pa., assignor to Vanity Fair Silk Mills, Reading, Pa.

Application November 29, 1939, Serial No. 306,617 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) The present invention relates to stockings, ar-v' 'a continuous knitting operation a knitted strain absorbing fabric or section thaty is capable of yieldable stretch in two directions, and which will not c url.

Another object of the invention resides in a method of knitting ne gauge elastic yarn into a knitted fabric under predetermined tension and relieving the yarn (after knitting the same into courses) of a predetermined amount of tension so as to eliminate the tendency of the knitted fabric to curl. l

Besides the above, my invention relates to a method whereby certain loops of certain courses that are knitted 'of elastic yarn are displaced or spread out of normal position so as to change the direction of elastic pull of the loops formed from the tensioned yarn, or to relieve the same of tension, thereby eliminating the tendency of the fabric knitted from the elastic yarn to curl.

With these andv other objects in view, my invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, 'taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stocking constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Figure 2 is a. diagrammatic view of a portion of a knitted fabricincorporatinga strain absorbing section consisting of an alternating arrangement of elastic and inelastic yarns, the elastic courses having transferred loops allowing the spreading of associated loops in the inelastic courses;

Figure 3 is ay diagrammatic view of a portion of a knitted fabric incorporating a strain absorbing section consisting of a number of interlooped succeeding courses of elastic'yarn, certain loops in alternating courses being transferred alternately to the right and to the left to change the direction of elastic pull of the transferred loops; Figure 4 is a. diagrammatic view of a portion of a knitted fabric incorporating a strain absorbing section consisting of a plurality of succeeding interlooped courses of elastic yarn, each having loops transferred in a single direction to change the direction of elasticpull of the transferred loops; y

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a knitted fabric incorporating a strain absorbing section consisting of a plurality of succeeding interlooped courses of elastic yarn, alternate courses having loops transferred so as to allow the spreading of associated loops fqr untensioning the knitted yarn in the various courses;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a knitted fabric incorporating a strain absorbing section consisting of a plurality of sets of groups of courses having transferred loops, such sets of groups of courses alternating with other sets of groups of courses in which each set includes loops spread out of normal size and shape, to untension the yarn; f

Figure 'I is a diagrammaticview of a portion of a knitted fabric incorporating a strain absorbing section consisting of an alternating arrangement of courses of elastic yarn and inelastic yarn, certain loops in the inelastic courses being transferred so as toallow the spreading and untensioning of associated loops in the courses of elastic yarn; e

Figure 8 is aiplan View of a knitted fabric incorporating the strain absorbing section, which may be provided'with finished selvedge edges or unfinished edges; l

Figure 9 is a plan view of a fashioned knitted fabric incorporating a strain absorbing section, which may be provided with finished selvedge edges or unfinished edges;

Figure l0 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of a portion of the fabrics illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.

The present invention illustrates and describes a stocking, and piecel goods fabrics with or without selvedge edges and fashioned or unfashioned, but I wish it to be understood that the invention is adaptable to various types of fabrics and various types of wearing apparel, such as corsets, brassires, dresses, etc., the main purpose of the invention being to provide a. two-wayelastic stretch knitted strain absorbing section in an article of wearing apparel capable of stretching in two directions so as to relieve the article of excessive strains in the use thereof.

In the knitting of ne elastic yarn into a knitted fabric s'o as to provide a strain absorbing section, the section has a tendency to curl along its paralleling upper and lower edges, which produces an unsightly appearance and materially vreduces the sales appeal thereof. I have discovloops to spread beyond their normal size and shape after knitting, to relieve the elastic yarn in the various courses of its abnormal tension,

I have further discovered that it is ofthe great' est importance that the initial elastic tension of the yarn, -as itis knitted, must be of a relatively low degree. Otherwise, the change of direction of pull of the. elastic loops or the spreading of other loops beyond their normal size, will not properly relieve the elastic yarn of its initial tension and thus the strain absorbing section will A have a slight curl.

'I'his initial tension of the yarn during the knitting thereof on high gauge knitting machines (such as hosiery knitting machines) can be reduced to the necessary low degree by relieving the pull of the yarn from the cone, such as by the substituted for the single elastic course, and a plurality of inelastic courses substituted for the single inelastic course illustrated.

Each of the elastic courses 9 has a predetermined number of loops I0 transferred into overlapping engagement with adiacent loops II so that the associated loops I2 of the vinelastic courses may be allowed to spread beyond their normal shape and size to relieve the inelastic courses of elastic tension due to knitting and, further, to relieve the elastic courses of their elastic tension, j

I have found from actualtests that when the initial tension of the yarn when knitted into the courses is below a. predetermined degree, and the loops are transferred, as shown in Figure 2, the strain absorbing section is relieved as a whole from elastic strains in directions that tend to curl the paralleling edges I3 and I4 of the strain absorbing fabric.

. In Figure '7, I have accomplished the foregoing result by transferring a predetermined number of loops I5 of the courses I6 knitted of inelastic use of the device shown in my issued Patent No.

2,030,477. This will relieve the tensioning of the yarn in its feed from the source of supply. However, I have discovered that the sinkers and dividers of the knitting machine are another cause of tensioning. In the use of the sinkers and dividers, the elastic yarn is crimped, and to perform this crimping operation, it is necessary that the yarn be forced laterally a predetermined distance. In forcing the yarn, the same is stretched,

and when this stretched yarn is knitted into fabric, causing the upper and lower edges thereof to curl.

A very. important feature of my invention is to change the ldirection of elastic pull ofthe loops so as to reduce the curling action and, .in most cases, entirely eliminate the same.l This desired result can also be accomplished by allowing certain loops of theelastic courses to spread beyond their normal size and shape, to untension the yarn in the various courses.

Referring particularly to the drawings, illustrating several of the many forms of my invention, the numeral I designates a. stocking consisting of a welt fabric 2, a leg fabric 3, and a foot fabric 4. The welt fabric 2 may be of the single or double ply type, well known in the art, and just below the welt fabric is located my improved strain absorbing section or zone 5. This zone 5 may be knitted of an alternating arrangementof elastic and inelastic yarns, or entirely of elastic yarns, and the courses of yarn may be knitted in various Ways, such `as illustrated in Figures 2 to '7 inclusive.

Figure 2, which is a fragmentary portion of the fabric, diagrammatically illustrates a few courses 6 of the welt fabric, a 'group of courses I of the ieg fabric, and the strain absorbing section 5 which, in this particular instance, consists of an alternating arrangement of inelastic courses 8 and elastic courses 9. Ir wish it to be understood that there may be a plurality of elastic courses yarn so that the associated loops I1 of the courses knitted of elastic yarn may spread beyond their normal shape and size to relieve said courses of elastic yarn of their initial tension due to the knitting operation.

Referring to Figure 5, I have illustrated the entire area of the strain absorbing section knitted of elastic yarn alternated courses I8 of which have predetermined loops I9 transferred so as to allow associated loops 2II of the remaining courses to spread beyond their normal sizeand shape to untension the elastic yarn in the various courses.

Figure 6 illustrates a type of fabric similar to that shown in Figure 5, with the exception that I provide a group of sets of courses 2| alternating with a group of sets of courses 22, certain loops of the sets 2| being transferred to allow expansionbeyond normal size and shape of certain loops in the sets 22 to untension the elastic yarns in the various courses.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, I have illustrated an arrangement whereby the direction lof elastic pull of the loops, in their attempt to relieve themselves of the abnormal tension, is changed, 'so as to minimize the tendency of the strain absorbing section to curl.

To accomplish this desired result, the loops 23 are transferred in opposite directions'as shown in Figure 3, and the loops 24 are transferred in the same direction, as shown in Figure 4. Thus it will be appreciated that these transferred loops extend at an angle to the wales of loops 25 of the remaining portion of the fabric. I have discovered that when the direction of pull of the loops is angularly disposed in relation to the walewise alignment of the loops of the remaining portion of the fabric, the direction of pullis such as to tion atl right angles to the edges I3 and Il of the tralize each other and reduce the tendency of the entire section to curl.

It is a very important feature of the invention that the initial elastic tension of the loops, after the knitting thereof, is reduced to a relatively low degree so that the action of the transferred loops can fully neutralize the initial tension of the loops.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that I provide two methods of untensioning the courses: first, the spreading beyond normal size and shape of certain loops atfer they are knitted to untension the elastic courses; and second, the transferring of loops to change the direction of elastic pull of certain of the loops.

Referring to Figure 8, I have disclosed a knitted piece goods fabric which maybe provided with raw edges or finished selvedge edges, such as shown at 26 and 21'in Figure 10. In the knitting of piece goods for any commercial use, such as incorporation in various articles of wearing apparel, the piece goods is provided with two fabricated end sections 28 and 29 connected together by a strain absorbing section 30, which may be knitted in various ways, as hereinbefore set forth.

I also wish it to beunderstood in relation to Figure 8 that the end sections 28 and 29 may be warp knitted, weft knitted, or of lace construction or woven construction but, in any case, the section 30 is fabricatedas hereinbefore described.

Referring to Figure 9, I have shown a flat type of knitted fabric fashioned along the lines 3| and 32, and thus the same is provided with fashioned selvedge edges knitted as shown in Figure 10,

and according to methods well-known in the art.

It is within the scope of my invention to knit the strain absorbing zone in the form of a narrow strip, knitted as hereinbefore set forth, and having finished selvedge edges which are attached to the fabric of the article of wearing apparel by a seaming, topping, or looping operation.

The fine gauge yarn used in the utilization of my invention is preferably of the type disclosed in the Adamson patent No. 1,822,847. It has been proven that the yarn must'be of the ne type illustrated in this patent to be practical in the operation of ne gauge knitting machines now in use, particularly the type used for the production of sheer hosiery.

I am aware of the fact that, previous to the Adamson patent, heavy types of elastic yarns were knitted into fabric and the gauge of the yarn was such that when knitted into the fabric, the fabric did not have a tendency to curl; also the size of the yarn was such that it was not knitted under tension and thus the manufacturing difficulties which are characteristic in the knitting of iine gauge elastic yarns were not experienced. However, heavy gauge yarns cannot be practically knitted into sheer types of knitted fabrics, and as the present invention relates particularly to high gauge types of knitted fabrics involving manufacturing difficulties not characteristic of low gauge knitted fabrics, it will be readily understood that my invention overcomes a specific problem in a specific art, which is substantiated by the fact that my invention has been successfully commercialized in large quantities todate.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l. Knit hosiery having a two-way elastic stretch section adjacent the top consisting of single courses of plain loops of inelastic yarn alternating with single courses of fine elastic yarn having loops of spaced wales laterally transferred and doubled with loops of other wales, whereby loops of spaced wales of the single inelastic courses of plain loops are spread.

2. A stocking comprising a leg portion; a garter attaching portion at the top; and a strain absorbing section between said leg and garter attaching portions consisting of single plain loop courses of line inelastic yarn alternating with single plain loop courses of fine elastic yarn in which loops of spaced wales are laterally transferred and doubled with loops of other wales whereby those loopsin spaced wales of all of the single plain loop inelastic courses associated with the transferred loops are spread in size.

3. A fabric having a strain absorbing section consisting of single plain loop courses of fine inelastic yarn alternating with` single plain loop courses of ne elastic yarn in which loops of -spaced wales are laterally transferred and doubled with loops of other wales, whereby associated loops in spaced wales of the courses of inelastic yam are spread in size.

4. A method of knitting in a stocking a strain absorbing section which comprises: knitting a single course of loops of ne gauge elastic yarn and, during the knitting of said course, transferring loops and doubling the transferred loops with loops of other wales; then knitting a second single course of loops of iine gauge inelastic yarn and interlooping the loops thereof with the loops of the first course wherein those loops associated with said transferred loops expand in size; and repeating the foregoing cycle of knitting throughout the width of the section.

5. A method of knitting a fabric with a strain absorbing section which comprises: knitting a single course of loops of line gauge elastic yarn and, during the knitting of said course, transferring loops and doubling the transferredl loops with loops of other wales; then knitting a second single course of loops of iine gauge inelastic yarn and interlooping the loops thereof with'the'loops of the first course, wherein those loops associated with the transferred loops expand in size; and repeating the foregoing cycle of knitting throughout the .width of the section. HOWARD B. SNADER;v 

